Corn-grader.



. G. I-IUBHVICUTT*I CORN GRADBR. APPLIOATION FILED APIE. 20, v1908.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

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ATTORNEY,

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CORN GRADER. APPLICATION FILED Ammo, 1908.

989,976. PatenteaApr.18,1911.

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CHARLES HUNNIOUIT, OF WILMINGTON, OHIO, ASSIG-NOR TO THE CHARLESI-IUNNI- CUTT COMPANY, OF CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CORN-Gianna.

essere.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 1S, 1911.

g Appiiauoniedaprnao,190s. semi No. 427,954.

To all whom 'it may concem': i

Be it known that I, C IAnnes,HUNNIoruir,

' a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Wilmington, inthe county ofClinton "and 1n the State of Ohio, have made certain new of which thefollowing is 'afull specicain the art to which the invention relates .tomake and use the same.

My invention relates, more particularly, to a portable and manuallyoperable Acorn grading device for grading seed corn.

The object of my 'present invention, broadly stated, is to provide aportable corn grader which will be strong and durable in construction,positive in action, light in weight, easily operated and'controlled, and

which can be manufactured and sold ata comparatively low price.

More particularlyv speaking, my object is to provide a portablecorn-grader adapted to grade grains of seed-corn as to thickness and towidth, and to eliminate undesirable in operative position. Fig. 2 isa'central horizontal sectionof the saine. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalvertical section of the same, as taken `o-n the line y-g/ of Fig. 1'.Fig. 4; is a vertical cross sectional view of the same as taken on theline .e--z of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a slightly modified form, with 'the upperscreen removed. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the upper` screen, and itsframe, as used with the construction shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a sideelevation ofthe combined parts shown in Figs. 5 and 6, but modified toshow the screens of equal lengths. Fig. 8 is anV end elevation, takenfrom the discharge end, of thecombined parts shown in Figs. 5 and 6. AndFigs.

9, 10 and 1i each show aportion of thevarious screens, showing@ theapertures therethrough in approximately actual size.

Similar indices denote like parts throughout the several views.

f'- Referring iirst to Figs. 1,2, 3 and 4,- the letters A and B denotethe tttd sides ofthe t iframe of my device, which sides are identianduseful Improvements in Corn-Graders,

calwith each other, they being spacedI -apart D t l and connected 'atone, end bythe e'ndmeint1on,being such as will enableothers skilledber'C, thereby completing the frame proper. n

y'lfhe .letter D denotes thejflower screen which' is formed,p-referably',of sheet metal having round apertures d interspersed withelongated or slot apertures "formed therethrough substantially asindicated. Said apertures are -formcd flaring, protruding downwardsubstantially as indicated. Said lower screen D is preferably secured tothe lower edges of the frame, the space between the screens being open'at one.end but closed at the other by end member C. The

function of the open end is to serve as a discharge opening. for thegrains that do not Vpass through the lower screen, but it is apparentthat the endmight be closed during the screening operation and thenopened `to permit the discharge of such grainstherefrom. Y

The forward ends of the sides A.' and B may be beveled back and upwardfrom their lower Vforward ends as indicated. Formed in the sides A and Bare grooves S which receive the.,edges of the upper screen. The screen Eis corrugated longitudinally thereof, and in the depressions of each ofthe .corrugations is formed la plurality of parallel slotse. i p

l 4The Vletter H denotes a tie connecting the sides A and B near theirforward ends, as shown in Figs. l and 3. Said tie being located With itsupper Vedge even with the upper edges ofthe sides A and B and extendingdown even-with lthe upper edge of said grooves,`tliat is to say,-evenwith the upper screen E.

From the above it is apparent that Vthe upper screen Ef is maderemovable, that is lit may slide forward and backward in the saidgrooves, and it may be secured linl4 operative position by screws ornails, or otherfwise, as indicated by the nail I, connecting it with thetia H, as in Fig.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 5 and 6, the letter L denotes ascreen having aexruiltituiile of round apertures L therethrough as shownin Fig. 5. Said screen is formed, preferably, of sheet metal, vand saidapertures are formed flaring and they project downward below the body ofthe screen, as indicated at.L.in Fig. 7. An unperforated portion, `L",extends forward forming a discharge or spout, as v'shown in Fig,` 5. Thesides ofthe screen L are bent upward at right-angles, forming the .sidesLf and Lv, and the rear end of said screen is bent up, the same as saidsides, forming the end L, also approximately at right .angles to thescreen. A

The letters M and N denotethe sides, and' theletters P and Q denote theends oa frame adaptedto fit between the sides L and VL,and extending:trom the end L. forward to approximately even with the forwardtermination of the apertures La. Said frame is adapted to be secured tosaid parts L', L and L" by nails or screws, as indicated in Fig. 7, withthe lower edge of said frame located some distance above the body L ofthe screen, and extending above said sides and ends.

Secured on -the underside of the frame formed by the members M, N, P andQ, is the screen R, having-- the slots 1' therethrough. Said screen R isin every essential particular like t-he screen E above referred to.

If desired the spout Lb of the screen L, and the spout Dl of the screenD, may be dispensed with (or they may be otherwise formed) as for.instance forming the device as shown in Fig. 7.-

. It is apparent that the form of the aperf tures in the screens L and Rmay be changed tothe form. of aperturesshown in' the screens E and D orvice versa.

In practice the device is made much larger than that shown in'the,drawings, in which case the apertures in'thel various screens areformed of dnnenslons"substantially as indisimple, -for instance: aquantity of shelled cated in Figs. 9, l0 and 11.

The operation of my invention 1s very corn is placed on the upperscreen, the device is then vibrated manually causing certain of thegrains to pass through the screen E and-to fallonto the screenD,lthrough which certain of the grains will-pass, and certain other grainswill pass out over the spout Db. It is intended that 'the roundapertures will grade the grains as to width, while the slot, apertureswill grade the grains as to thickness. For instance: with vthe devicehaving the upper screen with comparatively large oblong apertures andwith the lower screen having the round apertures andthe smaller oblongapertures,y

we get four grades of corn: the large and irregular kernels held in theupper screen that will not deliver freely in a planter) e mediumstandard grades that pass through the .upper'screen and out over the`aretoo narrow for good seed which pass through the round holes of theIower screen;

-and the grains that are'too thin for good seed, which pass through thenarrow oblong aperturesin the lower screen. In 'the lower screen lnsteadof the circular openings I may employ openings'of another form or forms,having dimensions ,practically equal to the diameter of the circular oenings shown. It is understood that the uction of the circularopening'is to accommodate the passage of comparatively thick and narrow4or rounded kernels which are not admitted' through the oblong openings,and .which are not of the propersize'and shape for seed.

I accomplishthe separation of the kernels, the desirable ones remainingon the lower screen. From the above it will be apparent that the grainswhich are retained on the upper screen will be too large, especially asto thickness, and the grains which7 pass through the lower screen willbe small, espe-A cially as to width; and that the grains vwhich passfoutover the spout of the lower screen, or retained thereoinand deposited ina separate vessel, will be graded both as to width and to `thickness. Itis essential that the openings inthe upper screen have a' given widthand be of greater length thany the circular opening (or its mechanicalequivalent) in the lower screen, and it is also essential that thecircular opening (or its mechanical equivalent) inthe lower screen be atleast as wide as theiopenings in the upper screen, not necessarily thesame width, but it must not be less vto accomplish the result desired.In order to specifically gradeV kernels of In the useof either thecircular' 'or the other forms of openings, as noted,

corn as to thickness of kernel and also as v to width of kernel, it isnecessary that the `kernels be made to enter the apertures in the upperscreen endwise or sidewise, and endwlse through the round aperture ofthe kernels on an ear of corn are flat in shape, in order toI facilitatethe work of grading and do it accurately, it is necessary that 'meanssh'ouldbe provided to tilt or turn the' kernels from the flat position,which they normally. assume, so that they will enter the apertures inthe manner stated above,

and to accomplish this, the screens are formed with inclines leadingdownward to the apertures.'1- "I`hese inclines are produced bycorruga-tingthe screens or by pressing.

the metal-downward adjacent tothe aperturesf as shownin the differentviews.

lower screen, and since the majority of manner departing from the spiritofthe in vention or of sacriiicing any of the many advantages thereof.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is-

l. A hand seed corn grader, comprising a frame forming a hopper at itsupper end, a

i screen in said frame forming the bottom of saidhopper, said screenbeingv formed to permit the free passage of a mass of corn over itsapertures and having screening openings of a given width 4to prevent thepassage of abnormally thick rains of corn, said openingsbeing greater 1nlength than in width, anda lower screen in said frame spaced from saidupper screen to form a graded corn receptacle, said lower screen beingprovided with screening openings having portions that are as wide as theopenings in the upper screen but shorter than the same, there being anoutlet from said graded corn receptacle for the dischargev formed topermit the free passage of a mass purpose 'set forth.

of corn over its apertures and having elongated openings therethroughand' the lower of said screens having openings therethrough that are aswide as but shorter than the openings of the upper screen, they lowerscreen being extended beyond.Y the opening of the frame to form a spout,as and for the 3. A handsecd corn gradercomprising a frame forming ahopper at its upper end,'a

screen in said frame forming the bottom of said hopper, said screenbeing formed to permit the free passage of a mass of corn over itsapertures and having screening openings of a given width to preventthe'passage of abnormally thick grains of corn, said openy ings beinggreater in length than in width, a lower screen in said frame spacedfrom said upper screen to form a graded corn re-l ceptacle, said lowerscreen being provided with screening openings substantially as Wide asthe openings in the upper screen, but shorter than the same, to permitthe passage of narrow and short grains there being 4an outlet from saidgraded corn receptacle for the discharge of the graded corn therefrom.

4. A seed corn grader comprising, in combination, a bodilyinvertible'frame forming a hopper-like receptacle at its upper part, anupper screen in said frame formed to permit the free passage of a massof corn over its apertures, said screen forming the bottoni of saidhopper and provided with oblong screening openings of a given width toprevent the passage of abnormally thick grains of corn, a lower screenin said frame spaced from said upper screen to form a graded cornreceptacle, said lower screen being provided with screening openingssubstantially `as wide as the openings in the upper screen but shorterthan the same, to prevent the passage of grains of standard width, saidupper screenbeing provided with means to effect the entrance of thegrains of corn edgewise into its apertures, said frame being providedwith a discharge opening'leading from said graded corn receptacle. l'

5. A seed corn grader comprising, in combination, a bodily invertibleframe forming a hopper-like receptacle at its upper part, an upperscreen in said frame formed to permit thefree passage of a mass of cornover its apertures, said screen forming the bottom of said hopper andprovided with oblong screening openings of a given width to prevent thepassage of abnormally thick grains of cor'n, a lower screen in saidframe spaced from said upper screen to form a graded corn receptacle,said lower screen being provided with a number of screening openings ofa given length interspersedwith other openings that are greater inlength but less in width than said irst named openings, the screen bodyof said screens being termed with in 'lines 1nfling downward to the`openings therein,` said frame being provided with a discharge openingleading from said graded corn receptacle.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name to thisspeciiication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES HUNNICUTT.

Witnesses: y

J. M. FISHER, R. C. SrUMM.

Copies of this patent ,may vbe obtained for ve cents ea'ch, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D, G.

